Rimuru: Veldanava's right hand (On hold)

Chapter 4: The Queen of Spirits: Ramiris and The Dark King: Amelia

Rimuru POV

A few months had passed since our fight with Charybdis. Milim left for some demon lord business and Velgaia returned to his home in the forgotten city. During this time, I also signed a treaty with the Beast kingdom Eurazania. I then went to Blumund and signed a peace treaty with their king as well as registered as a B-rank adventurer. With this, I was able to successfully enter Ingrassia and meet Yuuki Kagurazaka, one of Shizu-san's students and the grandmaster of the Free Guild. After conversing with him for a bit, I was then admitted into Freedom Academy where I taught Shizu-san's students. At first, it was very difficult due to their resistance to being taught by anyone other than Shizu-san, but eventually, they accepted me as their teacher. I also made an agreement with Gard Mjormilles, a very known merchant, to cooperate with Tempest. I then figured out about the Dwelling of Spirits from an elf and that it is in the Ulgrassia Republic. Right now, I'm standing in front of the gate to the dwelling. There wasn't any information on this spot in any of the books I scanned at the library. Unfortunately, I had no idea what monsters might be lurking on the other side. It was described as a trial, so it had to be pretty dangerous. But how come nobody ever came back? There were other elementalists out there besides just Shizu-san, after all, capable of taking full control over high-level spirits. I couldn't make contact with any of them, but Yuuki had said as much to me, so it had to be true. There was at least a touch of concern in my mind over whether Ranga and I could keep the children protected. If it looked hopeless, I intended to fall back and ask Benimaru and the other ogre mages for backup... assuming, of course, we could get out that easily. Either way, it was with a sense of firm resolve that I grasped the door handle. Slowly, carefully, I stepped inside. It was strange-the sun shouldn't be able to reach in, but the entire area was bathed in a dim light. I tried it out before letting the kids in, but it was bright enough to keep things visible without using Magic Sense. Nothing bad in the air, either. At my signal, all five went inside. We had just taken our first steps into the labyrinth. The moment all of us were in, the door closed. I immediately tried out my Warp Portal. Just as I thought, it failed to activate. I suppose this maze or whatever was set up so spatially oriented magic wouldn't work in it. Ranga's Shadow Motion failed, too, so I was pretty sure that was it. Better give up on escaping for now and switch gears to solving this trial. We proceeded inside. It wasn't really much of a labyrinth-more of a single corridor.

Rimuru: 'Nothing you can really get lost in.' I thought as we carefully pressed forward.........

Rimuru: 'Good thing my brain' got a map function.' It looked like a single path, but it was packed with traps designed to throw off your sense of direction. Try to go back, and the light would adjust itself to hide your previous path in the shadows. Even going forward, a path that looked completely plain would be hiding branching paths at the outer edge of the light. Yep. It sure was a labyrinth, one a regular human's directional skills would never work inside. You might not even be able to go back, for that matter. Pretty scary setup they got here. Just then:

???: (Oh my, it seems they noticed).

???:(What a pleasant surprise!)

???:(I didn't expect them to be this capable.)

???: (Tehehehe!) Suddenly, voices echoed in my mind. A very powerful form of telepathy?

???: (Oi, is that your reaction?)

???: (And here I thought that I was pretty scary when I talked like this.)

???: (Well, it's not like I tried to sound scary, either.) They babbled on at me. I saw Kenya and Ryota look around searchingly; they could all hear the same voices, no doubt. Chloe hung on to my clothing, refusing to let go. Alice was acting defiant, but she, too, was staying right by me. Gail had his sword out, seeking to keep everyone safe. His job as the oldest, I suppose. It was the sword I gave him, a child-size one I asked Kurobe to forge for me. Small but made of pure magisteel and capable of changing its shape to match the wielder's habits. I was hoping he wouldn't have to use it, but...